Right on!

Got it from Atty. Chyt Daytec-Yangot

***
I posted the following in Candy Pangilinan's blog. During a public appearance in Baguio City, Philippines, Candy, a comedian said twice: "Tao po ako, hindi po ako Igorot (I am human, not an Igorot.)." For the enlightenment of friends from other countries, Igorot is the term to refer to indigenous peoples in the Cordillera. Please pardon if I mildly self-aggrandized in my letter to Candy, but I thought it was necessary to rescue her from her hopeless ignorance by showing that Igorots are educated, too.


Candy, I am a poet and human rights lawyer who happens to be indigenous. In particular, I am a member of the Kankanaey ethnolinguistic group. Kankanaeys are Igorots.

I am currently in Australia attending a training on indigenous peoples rights. Yesterday, I learned that when you had a cobncert in Baguio, you shouted twice: "Tao po ako, hindi po ako Igorot." This incident was discussed with the participants in the training because I brought it out. Australian aborigines recall the time they were not considered humans and were downgraded by the Australian government to the level of "part of the flora and fauna." How you treated us right in our territory smacks of shamelessness and outright ignorance of who Igorots are. You are as bad as the Australian government which, by the way, had the humility to apologize to the aborigines in 2009.

You can claim that you were joking. Twice, you were joking? Real artists use performance art to inspire noble emotions, not hatred for or discrimination against a particular ethnic group. Since you call yourself an artist, you should know that you have a social responsibility which demands that you should not promote ethnic bias.

It is a good thing that you are not so popular because your very prejudicial statement would have influenced the minds of millions of people. The fact of your stature in the entertainment industry does not however reduce the vileness of your statement.

I hope that like the Australian government, you will have the humility to apologize on national television to the indigenous peoples whose collective identity you slurred with your careless statement.

Cheryl L. Daytec-Yangot
Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines Awardee

Candy joke? give me a break!

for a long time i did not post anything on this blog.. well as if someone cares but this is my outlet so deal with it! I've been busy with review and everything then upon checking for updates i came across this ignorant, uneducated, insensible, irresponsible and nasty remark made by a comedienne named Candy Pangilinan. People from the Cordilleras or the so- called "Igorots" do not run after celebrities or stand in a long line just to get a glimpse of this "artistas" save of course if its Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Well Candy Pangilinan claims that she already apologize and that she did not mean the remarks made... how can one say that they did not mean what they said if it was made twice, consciously? her reason for uttering those remarks is lack of sleep... sorry but theres no logic in that, give us a break! ( sus, anong klaseng rason! naluku garuden mangluku paylang!) We know more than you think Candy, we are people with brains more worthy of appreciation than you can ever imagine, well more worthy than yours that's for sure. It was just right to ban such kind of person in the city. well in a rush here chao.